From: Cheryl

April 6, 1999
Morehead St. University
Morehead, KY

I arrived in Morehead at noon (I live 30 minutes away). I parked my car [Goo license plate toward front *cheesy* lol] right in the parking lot of the gym of the campus-not 200 feet away. The back doors were all propped wide open. I walked right in. Students were here and there, but the student government was preparing the Goos' dressing room. I offered to help them with anything, but they just gave me the stuck-up cold shoulder. When they walked around the corner I snuck into the Goos' dressing room. It was the boys locker room, so there were benches and towels and food etc. I left a gift for the guys on the bench hoping it would stay there until they made it there. Equipment was everywhere...five of Johnny's guitars were being prepped by Mike, whom I met and was very nice to me. After I passed all his anti-stalker screening questions, he told me I needed to meet Dean. He took me by the hand and led me behind the no admittance curtains, up the backstage stairs, and out onto the stage where everyone was setting up. Dean was prepping 10 of JOhnny's guitars. Once again I offered to help, joking that I can bench 150 pounds(which is true:-), but he basically told me that I could do whatever I wanted. Or I could just sit here on this bench... So, trying to comprehend what was happening AND trying to stay cool about it, I went straight to Johnny's guitars. They were all so colorful in a row...it was weird seeing these guitars that you'd seen him play on Leno, and in the videos and awards. There was the purple metallic one with the KISS sticker!!!!!!!!!!!! (My husband's band is KISS) DEAN TOOK A PICTURE OF ME HOLDING AND PLAYING THAT GUITAR! AFter I was on stage a while, I went back down stage again to get something to drink and Mike yelled across the room "How are you doing CheryL?" I was undescribeably (sp?) elated that I had actually made a friends there and everything was going as I planned it. I knew that this would be the opportunity of a lifetime, being such a small town and I know this area-it's country or die. =< I knew I had to get there early because after the show is the hardest time to meet them, at least in my experience (which was at a Poison concert 10 years ago at the peachy age of 15 LOLOL). I also met Pete and Beth and others I can't remember-shit. I walked around all day, touching base frequently with the dressing room area, which was really just where you have to walk by anyway, so I didn't look like I was stalking [I was so afraid of that]. I got up the nerve to sneak back into the dressing room, and the gift I left was still sitting there!!! What a great day. But it was about to get a lot greater. Man after man walked about donning their ALL ACCESS necklaces-it looks like the cd cover with the pregnant girl and the heart in the corner. So as one of the older gents was walking by I turned on my gurl powwuh and reached out and grabbed it and gently tugged at it a few times while batting my Scorpion lids at him. He actually looked like he would give it to me for a second, but then he said he would get into trouble. "Oh well" I said, "...a girlz gotta at least try...*smile* It worked somewhat because as he was walking away he said, "Mike's the one to talk to. If you don't have any luck ask for Wild Bill when the bus comes." I gave him a hearty 'thanks' and headed towards Mike, deciding what approach to take with the backstage pass question. After we talked a second I decided to just cut the crap and straight forwardly ask. It was the wrong approach because he asked what I was wanting. I replied a backstage pass. He asked why. To meet them. I don't know why, but my paranoid theory is that I didn't fit the 'groupie mold' that was desired at the aftershow. Baby got back, baby isn't wearing a black micromini with no underwear like the girl in the background with Dave. And I do not mean for the band!!! The roadies have their pick of any and all those girls and they know it. They were cool though. Mike told me to hang around because sound check was at 4:00 and it was 3:00. He gave me 3 guitar picks. At 4:30 the blue bus pulled up and I could see Johnny'z face and hair *sigh*-he was sitting on the steps by the door. It didn't seem real. He got out and immediately started talking business with men around the bus. The guys just came over and mingled on the stairs outside with all of us! Johnny was leaning on the rail of the steps and when I finally got my nerve I approached him. He was looking at something I said "Mr. Rzeznik? jokingly. He looked at me and said 'huh?' Halfway speechless I held up my camera and asked if I could meet him. [I didn't want to interupt, but I didn't want to miss the opportunity] He said sure. I thrust my hand forth and said "I'm CheryL" with an ear-to-ear smile on my face. Looking from under his hair he shook my hand. I hope I didn't crush his hand with my adrenaline shake. He stood and walked towards me for the picture. In the heat of my moment I of course had to say something totally retarded. I asked him how the West Virginia show was last night...and did he meet any hillbillies!! lololol He looked at me kinda weird and then if I was from WV. "yes, I'm a hillbilly" I replied. Then I told him I loved him and he looked at me and smiled and put his arm around me...SNAP. "Okay?" he said. Not really crossed my mind because it was soooo fast, but I said THANKS very sincerely, and IT WAS GREAT TO MEET YOU and Thanks, sweetie. He went straight to the dressing room! At that time I was really hoping they thought the gifts were cool and not extreme. Do you guys think it was? It was simply a WV postcard and pictures of my two little cousins who love the Goo Goo Dolls. Robby was talking to everyone setting up. I waited for my chance and I asked Robby, "no shoes tonight right Robby?" He smiled, straighted his arms with hands in his pockets, looked down at his bare feet, stood on his tippy-toes and replied, "I don't have any yet!" I introduced myself to him and got a picture with him. He really does have this special charisma, hez really cool. I sucked up further by telling him I brought canned food for the food drive. He said great. Then we had the hillbilly discussion (I have a complex about the stereotype we get okay-I can admit it). I wanted to crack redneck jokes with them, ya know? Then Mike wanders over past me near a deserted hallway and stops and looks around. I said "Mike, you know if you come over here I'm gonna have to corner ya for an autograph...?" "I don't care," with a shoulder shrug. Robby signed it afterwards. I didn't notice that Nathan December was standing beside Robby and I cackled 'now I just lack one signature....' and Nathan snickered. With the quick recover I bubbled "..oh my goodness, and you too please... Mr. December." He did. I left to get ready for the concert knowing I didn't care if I got the backstage pass I had gotten everything I needed. :-) I walked straight into the concert with not only two cameras in my purse but also a mini voice recorder. I just wanted to experiment I knew it wouldn't tape the music well. The concert was the best I've ever been to because this time I knew every word to every song and this was really my favorite band-I'm not the kind of person who can let go and even dance, but I rocked, danced, screamed and had a hell of a night. I made my way to the third row directly in front of the microphone. Johnny will acknowledge you if he recognizes you in the audience. I believe he knows what it's like to be a fan-he knows it makes you feel special. So I was past the point of utopia when, after waving at him 1/2 the show, we made eye contact and he sees me and smiles and says something like 'hey I remember you'. I'll always wonder if he remembered meeting me or the gift. He threw water on us, but the New Radicals guy drenched us. They sounded very strong. Really. Johnny's voice was perfect, Robby's was perfectly scratchy, good volume level not too too loud, just great, great, great. Johnny introduced everyone by their 'mental idiosyncracies'. Nathan was alcoholic, Mike is obsessive-compulsive, Robby I can't remember and I don't know why, and Johnny said he was also obsessive-compulsive, and jealous. He's jealous of everything damn thing. He pointed out he has B-O, bad teeth and was alcoholic. Then he said not really. He seemed to in a way trying to convince us he's just human. I hope the spotlight's not getting too harsh. My pictures turned out to be superb. It was a day of a lifetime. =->